The unhappy Rose City (oh really?)

By Diane Dennis

Boom!, Apr 2, 2009, Updated Oct 30, 2009 (1 Reader comment)

Diane Dennis is a life transition coach appearing monthly on television’s “AM Northwest.” Contact her at 503-972-3441, Dianeden@centurytel.net or www.coachdianed.com.

Portland is the unhappiest city in the United States, according to a February 2009 article in Business Week magazine. This ranking came from data gathered on rates of depression, number of divorces, calls to a crisis intervention hot line, and the number of cloudy days (222) a year in our City of Roses.

It is disconcerting to be known as the place that has the lowest number of sunny days and the highest number of sad, depressed, divorcing and suicidal people. Here are some reasons I am not buying it.

Today I passed about 30 people on a street corner dressed up in costumes — some funny, some absurd, some just weird, laughing and dancing, for no apparent reason (I did not make this up). Here are some personal experiences that have made me laugh and feel warm inside (despite the rain) this past week.

My dog smiles whenever I walk through the door. My cat has an imaginary friend she plays with. I think they were playing air guitar this morning.

The sun was out yesterday, all day. My girlfriend Jennifer sent an e-mail outlining all of the ways I qualify as a best friend. My cousin Dawn sent me a video of Il Divo performing “Amazing Grace” at the coliseum in Rome, which I promptly forwarded to all my girlfriends suggesting they sit down with a Kleenex before watching (FYI, Business Week: tears of joy).

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